Black Pepper Beef and Broccoli
A fast wok stir-fry of seared beef and broccoli in a peppery garlic sauce, made without deep-frying or heavy cornstarch coating.
This is a lighter take on the takeout classic, built for a wok or the biggest, hottest skillet you own. Beef gets a quick velvet-style marinade in a little tamari and cornstarch before it hits the pan, which keeps it tender without needing the oil-blanching step a restaurant kitchen would use.
Lean sirloin or flank steak keeps this recipe genuinely high in protein without piling on saturated fat, and broccoli holds onto its fiber and crunch since it only cooks for a few minutes over high heat. Served on its own without rice, it's a solid low-carb dinner option that still feels like a full, satisfying plate.
Coarsely cracked black pepper, added generously at the very end, is what gives this dish its name and its edge — don't be shy with it.
Ingredients
- 1 lb flank steak or sirloin — thinly sliced against the grain
- 1 tbsp tamari — plus 3 tbsp more for the sauce
- 1 tsp cornstarch — for the marinade
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 4 cloves garlic — sliced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger — minced
- 2 tsp coarsely cracked black pepper
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 0.25 cup low-sodium beef or chicken broth
- 2 tbsp avocado oil — divided
These ingredients are common at South Asian grocers; a well-stocked international supermarket usually carries them too.
Instructions
- 1Toss the sliced beef with 1 tablespoon tamari and the cornstarch, and let sit 15 minutes.
- 2Blanch the broccoli in boiling water 90 seconds, then drain and set aside.
- 3Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok over high heat and sear the beef in a single layer 1-2 minutes per side until browned. Remove and set aside.
- 4Add the remaining oil, garlic, ginger, and black pepper, and stir-fry 30 seconds until fragrant.
- 5Add the broccoli, remaining tamari, oyster sauce, sugar, and broth. Stir-fry 2 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
- 6Return the beef to the wok and toss everything together for 1 minute before serving.